United CEO Scott Kirby Blames FAA for Last Weekend’s Flight Cancellations
Jun 28, 2023, 7:32 am
#1
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United CEO Scott Kirby Blames FAA for Last Weekend’s Flight Cancellations
Jun 28, 2023, 7:45 am
#2
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This really is a thing.
I play hockey with a bunch of Class B Tower and Approach controllers. These guys have been telling me the behind the scenes details since COVID. The staffing levels are alarmingly low because of the huge bubble of retirements. The hiring just has not kept up with demand and the learning curve is pretty steep as you can imagine.
There’s no simple solution, it just takes years to get these new controllers up to speed.
Jun 28, 2023, 7:51 am
#3
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My question in this particular instance is why UA bore the vast majority of the issues. No doubt WX and ATC issues in the northeast, where UA has its big EWR hub and the IAD hub (and footprint at DCA) just to the south were a big factor, but other airlines had dozens rather than hundreds of cancelations. And why were UA staff facing hours-long hold times trying to get their schedules?
Jun 28, 2023, 7:55 am
#4
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Before we default to the United sucks/ Kirby is just making excuses narrative….
This really is a thing.
I play hockey with a bunch of Class B Tower and Approach controllers. These guys have been telling me the behind the scenes details since COVID. The staffing levels are alarmingly low because of the huge bubble of retirements. The hiring just has not kept up with demand and the learning curve is pretty steep as you can imagine.
There’s no simple solution, it just takes years to get these new controllers up to speed.
This really is a thing.
I play hockey with a bunch of Class B Tower and Approach controllers. These guys have been telling me the behind the scenes details since COVID. The staffing levels are alarmingly low because of the huge bubble of retirements. The hiring just has not kept up with demand and the learning curve is pretty steep as you can imagine.
There’s no simple solution, it just takes years to get these new controllers up to speed.
My Sat night flight from IAD-CLE was cancelled because United decided, even with a full plane loaded and staffed and ready to go at 10PM, that the fight to Orlando was more important and pulled the pilot kicking and screaming from the cockpit and forced him to staff that flight. Of course, the rest of the Cleveland base crew got the shaft as well since they didn't get home either.
We then sat for the next 2 hours awaiting the promised new captain for our flight, which of course never appeared and they eventually cancelled the flight at 12:30 AM, leaving everyone except the one GS passenger vying for non-existent space the next day.
Of course no hotel rooms
and no vouchers for anything. Nowadays you spend and submit receipts and hope for reimbursement.Hopefully the captain didn't get hosed for airing the dirty laundry in front of everyone, but there weren't too many happy campers that night.
Jun 28, 2023, 8:09 am
#5
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But sometimes cancellations have nothing to do with ATC.
My Sat night flight from IAD-CLE was cancelled because United decided, even with a full plane loaded and staffed and ready to go at 10PM, that the fight to Orlando was more important and pulled the pilot kicking and screaming from the cockpit and forced him to staff that flight. Of course, the rest of the Cleveland base crew got the shaft as well since they didn't get home either.
We then sat for the next 2 hours awaiting the promised new captain for our flight, which of course never appeared and they eventually cancelled the flight at 12:30 AM, leaving everyone except the one GS passenger vying for non-existent space the next day.
Of course no hotel rooms and no vouchers for anything. Nowadays you spend and submit receipts and hope for reimbursement.
Hopefully the captain didn't get hosed for airing the dirty laundry in front of everyone, but there weren't too many happy campers that night.
My Sat night flight from IAD-CLE was cancelled because United decided, even with a full plane loaded and staffed and ready to go at 10PM, that the fight to Orlando was more important and pulled the pilot kicking and screaming from the cockpit and forced him to staff that flight. Of course, the rest of the Cleveland base crew got the shaft as well since they didn't get home either.
We then sat for the next 2 hours awaiting the promised new captain for our flight, which of course never appeared and they eventually cancelled the flight at 12:30 AM, leaving everyone except the one GS passenger vying for non-existent space the next day.
Of course no hotel rooms
and no vouchers for anything. Nowadays you spend and submit receipts and hope for reimbursement.Hopefully the captain didn't get hosed for airing the dirty laundry in front of everyone, but there weren't too many happy campers that night.
Jun 28, 2023, 8:18 am
#6
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My question in this particular instance is why UA bore the vast majority of the issues. No doubt WX and ATC issues in the northeast, where UA has its big EWR hub and the IAD hub (and footprint at DCA) just to the south were a big factor, but other airlines had dozens rather than hundreds of cancelations. And why were UA staff facing hours-long hold times trying to get their schedules?
Jun 28, 2023, 8:25 am
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Jun 28, 2023, 8:26 am
#9
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Jun 28, 2023, 8:34 am
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Jun 28, 2023, 8:42 am
#11
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United blames everything and everyone except United.
Delays and cancellations have been mounting even prior to recent events. A lot of aircraft issues and operational mishaps.
Take responsibility!
Delays and cancellations have been mounting even prior to recent events. A lot of aircraft issues and operational mishaps.
Take responsibility!
Jun 28, 2023, 9:01 am
#12
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Delta has the most flights in and out of the NYC area yet has been nowhere near as badly impacted as United has. I get that some days EWR might've had it worse than JFK and LGA, but that was not the case yesterday and United canceled 781 flights (26% of their schedule) and that's not even including all the Republic cancels. Heck, Delta two or three days ago had ATL and DTW, their two biggest hubs, down at the same time for storms meanwhile LGA, JFK, and BOS were still screwed up. I'm sure weather started this whole thing but the day it conveniently started spiraling out of control was the day Delta had all that going against them too, and it was the day when the system outage happened.
Huh well ain't that something...
Same thing happened over the 4th of July weekend last year. Kirby was all over blaming the FAA and ATC when they had the most cancels over that weekend, yet there was no ATC issues anywhere. This time is a little different I'd say because there has been, but let's be real with ourselves here.
Huh well ain't that something...Same thing happened over the 4th of July weekend last year. Kirby was all over blaming the FAA and ATC when they had the most cancels over that weekend, yet there was no ATC issues anywhere. This time is a little different I'd say because there has been, but let's be real with ourselves here.
Last edited by coke cans and winglets; Jun 28, 2023 at 9:07 am Reason: 4th of July tidbit
Jun 28, 2023, 9:06 am
#13
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Jun 28, 2023, 9:11 am
#14
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Before we default to the usual “United sucks/ Kirby is just making excuses narrative….”
This really is a thing.
I play hockey with a bunch of Class B Tower and Approach controllers. These guys have been telling me the behind the scenes details since COVID. The staffing levels are alarmingly low because of the huge bubble of retirements. The hiring just has not kept up with demand and the learning curve is pretty steep as you can imagine.
There’s no simple solution, it just takes years to get these new controllers up to speed.
This really is a thing.
I play hockey with a bunch of Class B Tower and Approach controllers. These guys have been telling me the behind the scenes details since COVID. The staffing levels are alarmingly low because of the huge bubble of retirements. The hiring just has not kept up with demand and the learning curve is pretty steep as you can imagine.
There’s no simple solution, it just takes years to get these new controllers up to speed.
Jun 28, 2023, 9:43 am
#15
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Delta has the most flights in and out of the NYC area yet has been nowhere near as badly impacted as United has. I get that some days EWR might've had it worse than JFK and LGA, but that was not the case yesterday and United canceled 781 flights (26% of their schedule) and that's not even including all the Republic cancels. Heck, Delta two or three days ago had ATL and DTW, their two biggest hubs, down at the same time for storms meanwhile LGA, JFK, and BOS were still screwed up. I'm sure weather started this whole thing but the day it conveniently started spiraling out of control was the day Delta had all that going against them too, and it was the day when the system outage happened.
Huh well ain't that something...
Same thing happened over the 4th of July weekend last year. Kirby was all over blaming the FAA and ATC when they had the most cancels over that weekend, yet there was no ATC issues anywhere. This time is a little different I'd say because there has been, but let's be real with ourselves here.
Huh well ain't that something...Same thing happened over the 4th of July weekend last year. Kirby was all over blaming the FAA and ATC when they had the most cancels over that weekend, yet there was no ATC issues anywhere. This time is a little different I'd say because there has been, but let's be real with ourselves here.
Ailrine CEO’s patted them selves on the back over the mem day weekend when the weather was perfect o. the east coast… but who could have predicted summer storms/faa mandated flight restrictions in nyc airspace/employee shortages/ could turn into a disaster…. who couldnt forsee that ?
Pax & many crew members sleeping in Terminals overnite on cots after spending hours on planes going nowhere fast.
“I’ll never fly < fill in the blank> airlines again!”
Next prediction.. Congress will hold hearings, airline big shots promise to do better next time..